WAPDA rejects reports of scrapping Diamer Bhasha Dam's power component

He also dismissed reports suggesting that the government planned to proceed with the dam’s water storage component while abandoning power generation, saying such claims were unfounded.

“The Diamer Bhasha Dam remains a multipurpose project,” the Wapda chairman said, adding that its continued inclusion in the Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP) was further evidence that the power component had not been cancelled.https://t.co/f. XxrH5OB70has done a story on Diamer Basha Dam Project, claiming its power generation ( PG) part has been dropped from the ongoing construction schedule.

It has also been claimed that only Storage Dam will be constructed and PG will be implemented in future,…— Lt Gen Saeed (retd) (@msaeed26198)August 29, 2026The 4,500MW power generation component was formally approved by the competent forum in April 2023 at an estimated cost of Rs1.424 trillion.

The component comprises four major packages — MW-2 for civil works, Hydromech-2, and Electromech-1 and Electromech-2. Lt Gen (retd) Saeed said the approval remained valid and had neither been revised nor reduced in scope or withdrawn by any government forum.

Once completed, the Diamer Bhasha Dam will have a gross water storage capacity of 8.1 million acre-feet (MAF) and an installed power generation capacity of 4,500MW. The project is expected to generate around 18.1 billion units of clean energy annually.

He added that the authority was fully committed to commencing civil works on the MW-2 package by June 2027, followed by Electromech-1 works by the end of December 2027. “These are firm, planned commitments, not open-ended or unspecified promises,” the chairman said.

Read:Daducha, Chahan dams get fresh push. He also rejected suggestions that critical waterways and intake structures required for future power generation were being omitted from ongoing civil works., the dam’s design and construction sequencing fully incorporate the power generation infrastructure envisaged in the original project plan.

The chairman said WAPDA would not compromise the technical integrity of a project of such national importance. He urged the media and public to rely on official statements issued by the executing agency and relevant ministries instead of unverified reports.

Lt Gen (retd) Saeed reiterated its commitment to completing the Diamer Bhasha Dam as a multipurpose project, encompassing water storage, irrigation, flood control and power generation.